Easy Ways to Organize Digital Photo Files

From the laundry room to your digital photos, here are tips to organize every room of your house.more

Memories are misty and water-colored, Barbra Streisand sang. Without a photograph to reveal true colors, the way we were becomes muddled in memory. You might even believe that ex-boyfriend looked like a young Robert Redford. (Note to self: He didn't.)

If you're not careful, you can lose all photographic evidence of your life and times. Today too many people see their photos only on a digital camera's tiny screen, a precarious place to be. Good news: It’s easier than ever to set those pictures free and get them in order.

Once you print out your photographs, don't tuck them away in an album on a bookshelf. Fill inexpensive flip books with photos, and set them out in a decorative box. This is a personal alternative to coffee table books. Family and friends won't be able to resist flipping through them.

Make the Case for Style

Print out decorative holders for all of your photo-filled CDs. Organize photos by theme, from parties and holidays to vacations and sporting events. The directions are oh-so-simple (you just need a color printer and adhesive), and the designs are colorful and fun.

No More Lost Photos

Turn a photo album's inside cover into CD storage with simple gel disc hubs from www.5inch.com, a site devoted to disc storage. The small, raised circle has adhesive on one side that sticks to paper or plastic. The hole in the center of the disc will snap in place on the hub. Label your CD, and also mark prints. You can write on the back of the photo or buy a photo album with a memo area. For example, mark the photo Disc 1, Photo 10. Next time you need a reprint of a photograph, you'll know just where to find it on the disc―and you'll know just where to find the disc too.

Go for Picture-Perfect

The best digital prints begin with the appropriate resolution. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for your camera to change the resolution settings. Two megapixels is good for 21?2- x 31?2-inch wallet-size photos or album-size prints (4 x 6 inches or 5 x 7 inches). To print 8- x 10-inch photo, you will need images with at least three megapixels.

Photo Display Project Ideas: Downloadable Color CD Templates to Store Photos* If you are not seeing the image appear in your browser after you click on a link, go to "File: Save As" (located at the top of your browser's commands) and save the file to your desk top. At that point, find the file on your desk top and double-click it. The image should appear.